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Published on: August 7, 2017
MicroRNA-146a-5p and microRNA-210-3p Correlate with T Regulatory Cells Frequency and Predict Asthma Severity in
Mona A Eldosoky1, Reham Hammad1, Areej Rushdi2
1Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine (for Girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
Insights
In children with asthma, miR-210-3p is a sensitive biomarker and risk factor for disease severity, while miR-146a-5p shows a protective role. T regulatory cells (Tregs) correlate with asthma severity and these microRNAs.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
- Pediatric Pulmonology
Background:
- Severe bronchial asthma (BA) affects 5-10% of children, posing a significant socioeconomic burden.
- Identifying biomarkers for risk stratification in pediatric BA is crucial for effective management.
- T regulatory cells (Tregs) modulate allergic responses, making them relevant to asthma pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between T regulatory cells (Tregs), miR-210-3p, and miR-146a-5p in children with asthma.
- To identify novel biomarkers for assessing asthma severity in pediatric patients.
- To explore the association of these molecules with asthma phenotypes and lung function.
Main Methods:
- Studied 50 children with BA (mild-to-moderate vs. severe) and 26 controls.
- Quantified T regulatory cells (Tregs) using flow cytometry.
- Measured plasma miR-210-3p and miR-146a-5p levels via quantitative real-time PCR and assessed lung function (FEV1).
Main Results:
- miR-210-3p negatively correlated with Treg frequency and FEV1 (Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second).
- miR-146a-5p positively correlated with Treg frequency.
- miR-210-3p demonstrated high sensitivity (96%) as a biomarker for asthma severity (AUC=0.923) and was an independent risk factor.
Conclusions:
- Treg frequency is associated with lung function and specific microRNAs in childhood asthma.
- Upregulated miR-210-3p serves as a sensitive biomarker and independent risk factor for severe asthma in children.
- miR-146a-5p may act as a protective factor in pediatric asthma severity.
Background:
Severe bronchial asthma (BA) affects 5-10% of children, which imposes socioeconomic burden. Therefore, it is crucial to identify biomarkers for risk stratification in children with BA. T regulatory cells (Tregs) play a balancing role in allergic response regulation. We aimed to investigate the relationship between Treg, miR-210-3p, and miR-146a-5p in relation to asthma phenotypes in search of novel biomarkers of disease severity.
Methods:
This study included 50 children with BA classified into Group 1 (n = 25) children with mild to moderate asthma and Group 2 (n = 25) children with severe asthma. In addition to 26 control subjects. Flow cytometry was used to detect Tregs. Plasma miR-210-3p and miR-146a levels were determined using quantitative real-time PCR. Patients' FEV1 (Forced Expiratory Volume in the first second) was measured.
Results:
miR-210-3p level correlated negatively with Treg frequency (r = -0.828, P < 0.001) and FEV1 (r = -0.621, P < 0.001). The level of miR-146a-5p positively correlated positively with Treg% (r = 0.303, P = 0.032). ROC curve analysis revealed that miR-210-3p was the most sensitive biomarker of severity, with the area under curve (AUC) = 0.923, 96% sensitivity, and 60% specificity. According to multivariate analysis, miR-210-3p is an independent risk factor for BA severity [OR =3.119, P = 0.030], while miR-146a-5p is a protective factor [OR =0.811, P = 0.049].
Conclusion:
Treg frequency is linked to FEV1, miR-146a-5p and miR-210-3p in childhood BA. Upregulation of miR-210-3p is a sensitive biomarker and an independent risk factor for BA severity in Egyptian children.
